Car dump



April 1 1924.

v. T. BARKLEY CAR DUMP Filed June 30, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 D QE INVENTO April I 1924. v

v.- BARKLEY GAR DUMP Filed June 30. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 1 1924.

v. T. BARKLEY AR DUMP- Filed June so 1920 s" Sheets-Sheet 5 v -r F; @Wv

Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

VERNOR T. BARKLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA] can DUMP.

Application filed Zlune 30, 1920. Serial No. 392,972;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VERNOR T. BARKLEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Car Dumps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to dumping apparatus, and it has special reference to apparatus for dumping coal cars in which the car is partially or entirely inverted to discharge its load.

The object of my invention is to provide a car dump of the above-indicated character which shall be simple in structure and which shall operate rapidly and positively to handle cars of ordinary construction. My car dump consists essentially of an oscillating frame carried upon a stationary shaft, and oscillated by means of a manually-controlled fluid-pressure cylinder, together with means for automatically receiving cars and locking them in position on the frame during the dumping operation, and for thereafter automatically releasing the empty car and permitting it to leave the dump by gravity or to be pushed from the dump by the next succeeding car.

The details of my invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational view ofa car dump constructed in. accordance with my .inventionyFig. 2 is a plan view of the same apparatus with the car-retaining horns removed; Fig. 3 is a transverse View, partly in elevation and partly in section along the line 33, Fig. 2,

the extreme dumping position of the car and supporting frame being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a transverse view, partly in elevation and partly in section, the section being taken substantially along theline 44,

Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary crosssectional view showing the manner in which the horn-releasing trigger is moved away from the track; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View,

similar to Fig. 5, showing the means for opening the horns; and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the cradle-holding latch.

As shown in the drawings, a stationary shaft 2 is mounted in suitable bearings 3 carried by fixed supports 4. A frame or cradle is loosely mounted for oscillation on the stationaryshaft 2 and consists of side plates 5 and end plates 6, secured together by means of angle bars 7. The frame also has intermediate transverse plates 8. All of the plates Gand 8 carry bearings 9 for supporting the frame, upon the stationary shaft 2. The frame may also be provided with top and bottom plates, in order to enclose the working parts and protect them from dust. I

The frame just described carries a pair of parallel tracks 10 which, when the dump is in itsload-receiving position asrshown in the drawing, are in alignment with stationary tracks 111' In order to hold the dump stationary whi-le'the cars are being placed upon and removed from it, I provide a stoppin 12 surrounded by .a spring 13 which is confined between a fixed bracket 14 and a collar 15, and which tends to force the pin 12 outward to enter a latch 16 disposed in a recess formed in one of the stationary supports. I

The construction ofthe latch 16 is shown in Fig. 7 It consists of a cup-shaped member 17 within which are secured two short parallel pivot-pins 18, each of which carries a latch member 19 having an inclinedupper end 20 and having a short lug 21 extending inwardly from its lower end. A spring 22 is disposed between the latch members 19 and is confined between an upper plate 23 and a lower plate 24 which rests upon the lugs 21. Near the end of its reverse oscillation the dump rotates to bring the pin 12 down upon the inclined faces 20 .of the latch members19. The latch members separate and allow the pin 12 to move down ,upon the plate 23 thus stopping the dump in the proper position, the shock being cushioned by the spring 22. At the same time, the pressure of the spring 22, in-

creased by the downward thrust of the pin 12, immediately closes the latch members 19 and the pin is prevented by the overlapping ends of the latch members from moving upward. 'It may, however, be withdrawn front wheels of the car, and a similar pair of horns 32 to grip and hold the rear wheels of the car. The front and rear horns at each side of the car are secured to a shaft 33 that is mounted in bearings 34 attached to the tracks 10, and is surrounded by a spring 35 which is confined between a collar '36 andone of the bearings 34 and which provides for a small amount of lengthwise movement of the cradle 33 to absorb the shock which takes place when the loaded cars strike the horns 31. r I

The trigger 28 is intended to be depressed by the front wheel29 only and not by the rear wheel of the car, in order that the pin 12' may not be withdrawn from the latch 16 by the rear wheel of the empty car as it 28 is slidable lengthwise in bearings 37, as shown in Flg. 5, and IS mOVGd back and forth in response .to the movement of one leaves the dump. For this purpose, and

for the purpose of releasing the pin 12 at theproper time to stop and lock the dump, the rock shaft 27 which carries the trigger of the forward horns 31. This horn is provided with a'downward extension 38 which has an opening to receive the end of a curved finger 39 that is loosely mounted on the shaft 27 between collars 40. When the forward horns 31 are in their gripping position, as shown in Fig. 3, the trigger 28 1s in the path of the wheel 29; but when the horns swing outwardto release the wheels, as shown in Fig. 5, the extension 38 acts through the finger 39 tomove the shaft 27 to the right, Fig. 5, carrying the trigger 28 may then pass the trigger 28 without engaglng 1t.-

The horns 31 which grip thefront wheels of the car are connected to move together pivotally around their shafts 33 and the horns 32 which clamp therear wheels of the car are similarly connected to move'together, as shown in Fig. 4. It is'necessary that the front horns 31 be in their operative position.

1 ,eeaees car and to return the car to its starting Thereupon the horns must open to release the car and when the car has cleared the front horns, these horns must close again in order to stop the next succeeding car.

To carry out these movements of the horns, each pair of horns is connected by means of downward extensions and links 46 to a triangular rocking lever .47. which is loosely mounted upon the'stationary shaft 2 between a fixed collar 48 and a sleeve 49. A spring 50 is connected at one end to the lever 47 and at its other end to one of the cross bars 6 of the frame and tends to move the lever 47 into the position shown in full lines on Fig. 4, at which time the horns are in their gripping position. The lever 47 is provided with a lug or extension 51 adapted to engage a cam pin 52 which is 'slidably carried in bearings 53 formed on the fixed sleeve 49, and is surrounded'by a spring 54 which. normally tends to force the pin 52 into thepath of the lug 51. r The horn-operating construction just .decsribed is provided both for the front pair of horns and for the rear pair of horns.

In order to withdraw the cam pin 52 which controls the front pair of horns, this pin is connected by means of a hook joint 55 with a rod 56 surrounded by a spring 57 and connected by means ofya link 58 .to a lever 59 mounted on arock-shaftGO to which is also secured a trigger 61 thatextends into the path of the wheels of the car. near the point wherethe car leavesthedump. The hook joint 45 provides for rotation between the parts of the joint when the cradle rotates. A hand lever 72, pivoted to the cradle frame at 73, has a forked portion 74 that works between collars 7 5 on the shaft 60. By means of this hand lever, the shaft may be moved lengthwise to remove the trigger 61 from the path of the car wheels when cars are to be run across the dump V vwithout dumplng. away from the track 10. The rear wheel To withdraw the cam pin 52 which controls the rear horns. 32, I provide the rear pin 52 with a head 65 which is" engaged by a forked lever 66 pivotally mounted at 67 on a bracket 68 and connected by means of a link 69jto a lever 7 O that is rigidly secured to the rock-shaft 27. Thus, when the trig- "ger 28 is depressed and the. shaft 27 is rocked to; release the locking pin 12, the

same movement of the shaft 27 withdraws the rearcampin, 52 and releases the rear horns 32, permittingthem toclose upon the rearwheelsof the car under the pull of the spring50. V 7,

V The operation ofthe hornsmay best be understood byreferring to Figs. 4 and 6.

When the dump is oscillated to dump a car,

each of the cam pins 52 is forced by its spring 54 into the path of movement of the corresponding lug or extension 51 of the rocking lever 47 which is connected to one of the pairs of horns by the links 46. As the dump returns to its upright position, the lugs 51 engage the pins 52, as shown in Fig. 6, and are thereby stopped, and on the further oscillationof the dump the levers 4Z7 remain stationar thus rocking the horns outward into the positions shown in Fig. 6. This releases the empty car, which then runs from the dump. One of the front wheels of the car depresses the trigger 61, which pulls the. forward cam pin 52 away from the lug 51, and permits the spring 50 to pull the forward horns 31 to. their gripping position. Nhen the next car reaches the forward horns 31, one of its front wheels depresses the trigger 28, which pulls the rear cam pin away from the rear lever 47, thus permitting the rear spring 50 to close the rear horns 32.

As will be seen in Fig. 4:, each lug 51, when the horns are upright, rests against a fixed stop member 76, and the pivotal connections 77 and 78 between the lever 47 and the links 46 are respectively above and below the lines joining the center of the shaft 2 with the pivots 79. Therefore, the horns can only be opened by the positive rotation of the lever 47 and cannot be opened by force applied accidentally or otherwise tothe horns themselves, which would only press the lugs 51 more tightly against the stop members 76.

For oscillating the dump frame around the shaft 2, I provide a cylinder 80 operated by fluid pressure and provided with trunnions 81 which support the cylinder between the central plates 8 of the cradle frame. The piston of the cylinder is connected by means of a connecting rod 82 and a crank pin 83 to a crank 84 which is rigidly secured to or integral with the shaft 2. Air, water or other operating fluid is supplied to the cylinder 80 through a pipe 85 controlled by a suitable valve 86. The connection between the pipe 85' and the inlet port of the cylinder is made by means of a rubber hose connection 87, in order to permit the necessary rocking movement of the cylinder. The

- cylinder may be either singleacting or douale-acting, as desired.

The air cylinder 80 isprovided with a oneway exhaust valve 95, Fig. 3, which may be operated either manually or automatically just before the return movement of the dump. This valve is at the lowest part of the cylinder when the cradle is in the dumping position, and when the exhaust begins. Therefore, any water which may be carried into the cylinder along with the air, will be thoroughly blown out at each stroke of the cylinder. This is a feature of special advantage over apparatus which has heretofore been operated by compressed air, and

in which the air cylinders have been liable to freeze in cold weather.

In order to prevent the coal from escaping from the car before the car reaches its dumping position, I provide a dump plate 88, shown in Fig. 3, which holds the load in the'car until the car is in the dotted-line position, as shown in Fig. 3.

A counterweight 89 is secured to the under side of the cradle and is so proportioned loaded car is in position thereon. This permits the dump to be oscillated with a minias to substantially balance the cradle when a mum expenditure of power, and also serves to return the dump to its starting position when the load is dumped, the side of the tilted dump frame carrying the :counterweight being then heavierthan the side carrying the empty car. Y

The operation of my device is started with the front horns 31 in their holding position, the rear horns 32 open, and the locking pin 12 in the latch 16. A loaded car rolls upon the dump in the direction of the arrow, Fig.

1, and is stopped by engagement of its front the piston to be drawn into the'cylinder,

whereby the dump is tilted to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 3 and the car is dumped. To return the dump and the car to their starting position, the operator moves his control valve to exhaust the cylinder and the counterweight 79 brings the dump toits upright position. The speed'with which the dump rocks to dump the car and to return the car to its starting position may be readily controlled by the operator whomay, for example, admit a small amount of fluid in the cylinder in order to cushion the return movement.

As the dump is returned to its upright position, the locking pin 12 snaps into the latch 16 and the front and rear horns are simultaneously opened by engagement be-,

tween the lugs 51 and the cam pins 52, in the dump and this rocks the shaft 60 and withdraws the pin 4l0 from the forward lever -14, thus releasing the front horns 25 and tion, ready to stop the next car coming upon causing them to rise to their holding posiposition.

stationary shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, means for securing a car on the said support, means operated by the cars moving upon the said support for operating the said securing means, and means operatively connected to said stationary shaft for moving the said support to dumping position, and for returningthe said support to loading position. i

2. in a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, means for securing a car on the said support,

.means operated by the cars moving upon the said support for operating the said securing means, a fluid-operated cylinder carried by said support, and connections between the said cylinder and the said shaft for moving the said support tondumping position and for returning the said support to loading 3. In a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft,'a car support mounted on the said shaftand rotatably movable thereon, means for securing a car on the said support, means operated by the cars moving upon the said support for operating the said securing means, a fluid-operated cylinder carried by the said. support, and connections from the said cylinder to move the said support to dumping position and to return the said support to loading position.

i. In a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon; a crank carried by the said shaft, and a cylinder carried by the said support, and

v.havin its )lStOll connected to the said crank.

' 5. In a car dump, the combination .of a stationary shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, a stationary crank carried by the said shaft, a cylinder carried by the said support and having its piston connected to the said crank, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder.

6. In a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, an oscillable car support mounted on said shaft, a crank carried by said shaft, and a fluid-operated cylinde' carried by the said support, the said cylinder having its piston connected to said crank and being provided with an exhaust valve disposed at the lower end thereof when the said cradle is tilted to its dumping position.

7. In a car dump,the combination of a .7

stationary shaft, a car "support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, means for securing a car on the said sup port, means operated by the cars moving on the said support for operating the said securing means, a fluid-operated cylinder carried by said support, and connections between said cylinder and said shaft for oper ating the said support.

8. In a car dump, the combination of a 89 stationary shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, means for securing a car on the said support, means operated by the cars moving on the said support for operating the said securingmeans, a fluid opera-ted cylinder carried by the sald support, and connections between the said cylinder and the sald shaft for operating the said support.

9. In a car dump, the combination of a 99 stationary shaft, car support loosely mounted on the said shaft and movable from car-receiving position to dumping position, means for locking the said support in car-receiving position, and means opera-= able by the cars movingon the said support for automatically releaslng the said locking meansJ V 10. Car dumping apparatus compr sing a shaft, a rotatably movable car support? mounted on the said shaft, and means for regulating the speed of rotation of the said support, the said regulating means comprising a cylinder carried by the said support and movable therewith, the said cylinder being operatively connected to the said shaft. 1

.11. Car dumping apparatus comprising a'rotatably movable support and horns for securing a car to the said support, the said' q horns being adapted tooperate to grip the individual Wheels of the car by movement of the car on the support, and for release of the gripping action by of the support. s V

12. Car dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a rotatably movable car support mounted on the said shaft, means for secur- .ing car to the said support, the said securrotary movement 11 :7 ing means comp-rising horns adapted to grip the individual Wheels of the car, and meansv operable in response to'the rotation of the said support, for-releasing the said horns from the said Wheels.

'13. Car dumping apparatus comprising 12 a shaft. a rotatably movable car support mounted on the said shaft. front and rear horns carried by the 'said support and adapted to grip and hold the individual n front and rear Wheels of a car, means car-' 7 ried by the support for releasing all of the said horns from the said wheels to enable the car to leave the dump, means carried by the support for thereafter bringing the front horns to their holding posit-ion, to receive another car, and means carried by the support for bringing the rear horns to their holding position after the said car has engaged the front horns.

14; Car dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a rotatably movable car support mounted on the said shaft, front and rear horns carried by the said support and adapted to grip and hold the individual front and rear wheels of a car, means operable in response to the rotation, of the said support for releasing the said horns-from the said wheels, means operable by a car leaving the dump for bringing the front horns to their holding position, and means operable by a car running upon the dump for bringing the rear horns to their holding position.

15. In a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, a car support mounted loosely on the said shaft androtatably movable thereon, and means for operatively connecting the said shaft to the said support for controlling the movement-of the said support.

16. In a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, automatically operable means carried by the support for clamping a car on the said support and means operated by the cars moving upon the said support for operating the said clamping means.

17. I11 a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, a car support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, a pair of horns adapted to engage and hold the front Wheels of a car, a second pair of horns adapted to engage and hold the rear wheels of the said car, a trigger operatively connected to the said front pair of horns and operable by the car leaving the said support to move the said front horns to Wheel-engaging position, and a second trigger disposed near the said front pair of horns and operatively connected to the said rear horns, the said second trigger being operable by the car as it approaches the said front horns to move the said rear horns into Wheel-engaging position.

18. In a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, a car-support mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, a pair of horns pivotally secured to the said support and adapted to engage and hold two of the Wheels of a car, a member loosely mounted on the said shaft, links connecting the said horns to the said member, whereby the said member rotates with the said support, means for stopping the rotation of the said member to cause the said horns to release the said wheels, and means operable by the said car for causing the said member to return the said horns. to wheel engaging position. I

19. Car dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a rotatably movable car support mounted on the said shaft, means for s'e'- curing a car to the said support, the said securing means comprising horns adapted to grip the individual wheels of the car, means operable in response to the rotation of the said support for releasing the said horns from the said Wheels, and means operable by the movement of a car moving on said support for causing the said horns to move into their operative position. i

20. Car dumping apparatus comprising a shaft, a rotatably movable car support mounted on the said shaft, means for securing acar to the said support, the said securing means comprising horns adapted to grip the individual Wheels of the car, and means for moving the said horns to and from their operative position, the horn moving means being Wholly actuated by mechanism contained within the said support.

21. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movable car support, means for causing the said support to stop in car receiving position, means operable by the movement of a car on said support for releasing said support, and means for thereafter controlling the movement of said support, all of the said operating and controlling parts being located Within the frame of the said support.

22. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movable car support, means for holding a car upon said support, means for releasing the said holding means from the said car, a trigger disposed in the path of movement of the car leaving said support for restoring said holding means in position to stop the next car, and a manually operable lever for moving the said trigger out of its operative position, whereby the said car holding mechanism may be rendered inoperative to permit cars to move across the said support without being stopped thereon.

23. In a car dump, the combination of a stationary shaft, a car support loosely mounted on the said shaft and rotatably movable thereon, means for engaging and holding a car on the said support, and means for alternately moving the said car holding means into and out of their operative position, the said moving means being connected to the said stationary shaft and being operated thereby.

24. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movable car support and means for locking the said support in car-receiving position, the said locking means comprising a stop member carried by the said support, means for engaging the said stop member to ;stop the rotation of the said support, and means for withdrawing the said stop member from the said engaging means, thereby permitting the said support to again rotate.

" 25. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movable car support and means for locking the said support in car-receiving position, the said locking means comprising a stop member carried by the said support,

means for engaging the said stop member to stop the rotation of the said support, and means automatically operable by a car movingon the said support for withdrawing the said stop member from the said engaging means, thereby permitting the said support to again rotate.

26. Car dumping apparatus comprising a rotatably movablecar support, a stationary member adjacent to said support, a latch carried by the said stationary member, a

stop member carried by the said car support and adapted to engage the said latch to stop the rotation of the said support, and means automatically operable by a car mov- :f'i ing on the said support for withdrawing the said stop member from the said latch.

27. Car dumping apparatus'comprising a rotatably movable car support, a stationary member adjacent'to said support, a latch carried by said member and comprising, two pivotally movable spring-pressed hooks, a

stop member carried by the said car support and adapted to separate the said hooks and thereafter to be retained between them, and

means automatically operable by a car mov-' ing on the said support for withdrawing the said stop member lengthwise from the said latch,

28. Car dumping apparatus comprising a path of movement of a car moving on the said support and operatively connected to the said stop pin, and a latch disposed adjacent to the said car support and adapted to engage and hold the said stop pin, the said pin being withdrawn from the said latch when the car moves on the said support and depresses the said trigger.

In testimony whereof, I the said VERNOR T. BARKLEY, have hereunto set my hand. VERNOR T. BARKLEY. Witnesses:

R. D. BROWN, JOHN F. WILL. 

